Dead And Gone
"I don't think I can do this." "Try closing your eyes." "...Why?" "You'll be alright." Dead And Gone Finally, the battle ends. The struggle between life and death has been difficult, but it is finally over. You smile faintly, looking at those around you. It's going to be alright, even if things have changed. You're rather tired after fighting, but you make an effort to stay awake, to stay with everyone else. There are still things to do, those to mourn. Mostly, you'd like to get rid of the blood soaking your fur. But it's alright, and that's the important part. You're still very tired. The others around you try to give you healing herbs, but you refuse them. You don't need them, and they should be given to the ones who need them. Slowly, you close your eyes. ~ Flash Backwards ~'' In the distance, you can see a silver she-cat, who has been cornered. She's bleeding, and looks terrified. You want to reach out to her, but you're not sure how. In fact, you're not entirely sure who she is. Silver fur, black stripes, she's not very memorable. But something in your head clicks when you see her, and you struggle to remember her. ''What's her name? You're positive she's important, but her identity is a mystery. You just want to know who she is, but you don't know how to ask. Plus, she looks like she's about to die. You want to do something, but what can you do? You're weak too, and you have to be able to defend yourself. There's three cats surrounded her, and you can't take them on yourself. You wish you could remember who she was. Why do I want to save her? ~ Flash Backwards ~'' Cats flank around you, and you panic. Claws go out, and you realize you're trapped. You scratch violently at one of the cats, and kick away another. However, a third jumps you, and pins you down. "This is what you get, traitor. LakeClan took you in, when you had nothing!" Your eyes widen at the admission, but you say nothing. Instead, you struggle beneath the large cat, trying to fight them off. "You can't do it." One of the cats hisses, "Filthy rogue." The large cat slashes across your stomach, leaving an open wound. It's not very large, but you're bleeding very quickly. ''It hurts... The cats leave you after that, and you struggle to your paws, vision blurring. "Took me in? What do they... Oh..." ~ Flash Backwards ~'' Everyone has gathered for battle. You're still unsure of where to stand, but you know what you need to do. Loyalty doesn't matter. Finding the truth does. Cats surround you, as Silver glares at Heatherstar. Nobody speaks, but ears are flattened, and tails are swishing. You know this battle will be brutal, and you don't know what to expect. But who do you fight for? How hard must you fight? Who will you defeat? There's a charge, and suddenly, you're surrounded. You're scared, but the only thing you can do is fight. Something inside you makes a choice, and you find yourself sparring with Reedfur, one of your kithood friends. "T-Traitor..." He whispers at you, before spitting blood in your face. You realize what you've just done, but this is no time to think. Heatherstar spins around behind you, and you slash your claws at her before she can recover. She snarls at you, her eyes filled with anger, "Y-You... You filthy rogue! I trusted you! I made you my deputy, and I put all faith in you... How long have you been planning to betray me?" You bite back tears, and whisper, "I will do whatever it takes to find out the truth." You push Heatherstar backwards, and run off, before she can find you. ''I'm a traitor, yes. But I also know what I'm fighting for. Suddenly, you're pushed against a rock wall. ~ Flash Backwards ~'' You know what's coming for you. A battle, worse than any before in time. There have been other battles in the past, but this is a war. It will be fair, unlike Heatherstar's plan. Heatherstar wanted to make an unjust strike in the middle of the night. You are secretely afraid of what is going to come of this. While your position as a spy works to feed false information to the group, you have told them the truth. You're still not sure what side you're on. While you've lived in LakeClan since you were born, you have some connection with Silver's group. Actually, you have a connection with Silver herself. You're not quite sure why, but Silver means an awful lot to you. You fear the battle in the horizon, because it's going to be a life and death situation. Whose side are you on? ~ ''Flash Backwards ~'' Your eyes flicker, as you enter Silver's camp. Truthfully, you're exhausted, but you have to tell Silver what's about to happen. Heatherstar's plot to wipe the rogues out has gone on long enough. Pepper looks at you when you enter, and she nods, directing you towards Silver's den. The she-cat looks up when you approach, "Ah, there you are. What have you heard?" ''Tell the truth... "Heatherstar is planning an attack. Three days from now, at moonrise. I wasn't supposed to tell you that." You admit, "She wanted it to be a surprise, but I can't do that. I was told to give you a false date, but I'm done with lies. This battle will be fair." Silver mulls over this pulse of information, "But how do I know I can trust you?" You swallow, "You can't. But it's better to have this information now, than to have no warning whatsoever." "True. Very well, I accept your words." Silver mews, "Hopefully, this trust is not misplaced." You look into Silver's eyes, your heart panging, "What are we going to do, if we lose?" Silver sighs, "I don't want to think about that. For now, just pray we win." You move closer to Silver, and she frowns, before letting you lean against her, "I don't know if I can do this." Silver gently licks your ears, "Hush. You don't have to worry. I believe in you." "Silver, truly... I don't know. I don't know anything. Why do I feel something when I look at you? Why do I want to defend this place? What am I doing?" You cry. "If we knew, then nothing would ever happen." She whispers. You're afraid. ~ Flash Backwards ~ "LakeClan, gather!" Heatherstar's voice rings out across the clearing. You sigh wearily, and walk into the crowd. Heatherstar looks down at everyone below, and grins. "As all of you know, rogues have been terrorizing our fair Clan for much too long. But, that is about to end!" She pauses for dramatic effect, and to let the crowd go wild. Whitefeather nudges you gently, "Come on, cheer! We're so close to the end!" You smile weakly at Whitefeather. While she means well, you know that this will not end well. But the earnest look in her bright blue eyes makes you forget that for a little while. Heatherstar begins speaking again, and you look up, "In three days time, we will make a strike at moonrise. From there, we will slay them in their sleep!" More cheers. You can feel a stone sinking in your stomach. Whitefeather nudges you again, "Please, say something. I'm worried about you." You shrug, "I'll be fine." Cats disperse, and Heatherstar glares at you. You quickly come up to where she is standing, because by now, you know that glare means 'come.' "I want you to lie to that group. Give them a false date, false time, anything." She hisses. You nod, and leap back to the ground. Whitefeather is waiting for you. "Hey, don't go just yet, whatever you're doing." She mews softly, "I'm here for you, alright? Always." You purr gently, "I'll be fine, Whitefeather. But thank you." She dips her head, "Be safe." You wish it were that simple. ~ Flash Backwards ~ You can feel your heart rising in your chest. Guilt is running through your veins. "What am I going to do?" You don't know what's going to happen. Talking to Silver isn't helping, and Whitefeather doesn't know the truth. Fear is overwhelming you. You don't even know where you belong. LakeClan is where you were raised, but your loyalty has begun to lie in Silver's group. Now, you're stuck in the middle. You have to make a choice. But you're scared. "Where do I belong?" You don't know. ~ Flash Backwards ~ You look at Silver, begging silently. She glares at you, before speaking. "Why are you here? You know things are bad. Is there something you need?" She mews. You sigh, looking away from her piercing gaze. "I don't know what to do. What life to pick." You admit. Silver scowls, "Seriously? There's a war going to happen, and you can't pick a side? Why did I ever- No, I won't go there." Go WHERE? You mew, "What do I do, Silver? I... I don't know what to do. It's all piling up. I've been on your side since my apprenticeship, but now, I'm deputy... and..." Silver noses you, "Hush. It's alright. I know you trust me." "What do I do? I can't have a double life forever." You whisper, choking up. Silver muses, "Well, you can bear the weight, or..." "Or what?" "Or push into the sky." Silver says. You flatten your ears, "That was not helpful. I'm going home." Silver snorts, "Where's home? You said it yourself: You can't choose a life." You narrow your eyes, but don't speak. Then, you run off into the darkness. ~ Flash Backwards ~'' Heatherstar glares at you, "Get over here!" She hisses. You quickly pad up to her. She mews urgently, "Look, I have a plan for you. The rouges will attack us no matter what, so we need all the information we can. I'm going to send you in as a spy." You tense. You've been working with the rouges for the past several moons. In fact, you almost officially changed your alliance. If you hadn't been made deputy, you would have left right away. Heatherstar nudges you, "Listen to me. You can get all their information, and report back to me. We can win this war, before it begins." You dip your head, "I can do this. I promise not to let you down." You're lying, of course. You wonder if this makes you a double agent, or a triple agent. Who's side are you on? You're not quite sure. You pad away, feeling guilt risng. ''Do I stay in LakeClan, with Heatherstar and Whitefeather? Or do I join Silver, and her group? You want to be able to choose, but you can't. There's just no possible way. ~ Flash Backwards ~ Your name is chanted through the crowd. Heatherstar flicks her tail, and mews, "That is all!" Whitefeather purrs, "Hello, deputy." You try to smile, "I suppose." She mews, "Come on! This is great!" Is it? You try to purr, "It is. I've got to send off a patrol now. This is... StarClan, who thought I was good for this job?" Whitefeather mews, "You'll be fine. Go on, now!" What am I going to do? "Right... Duskflower, Beetail, take Swiftpaw on a border patrol." Can I tell Silver? "Go by the border. There's been some scent there." I'm a traitor... "Make sure no cat is lingering." Whose side am I really on? ~'' ''Flash Backwards ~ It's early morning, when you are shaken awake by a panicked mew. "Wake up! Everyone, wake up!" Your eyes snap open, and see Duskflower standing at the edge of the Warrior's Den. Her eyes are wide, and she appears frantic. Gingerpatch growls, "Why'd you wake us up? For StarClan's sake, it's hardly dawn!" Duskflower mews, "The Dawn Patrol was attacked. The rogues were hoping to damage us... and they did." Whitefeather nudges you, and hisses, "Dewfrost was on that patrol!" The deputy... You quickly pipe up, "Is everyone okay?" Duskflower hesitates, "You should find out for yourself." Everyone exchanges a glance, and then leaves the den in an orderly fashion. In the centre of camp, Dewfrost is bleeding into the grass. He looks an inch away from death, as he shakes. Creampatch is desperatly pressing herbs to his wounds, but anyone looking knows that he's going to die. You shake, and pelts press against you, but you don't react to them. It's not going to change that Dewfrost is dying. Heatherstar is rushing around, "The rest of the patrol, are they okay?" You look around. Pinepelt has a couple scratches, and Smokeflight appears to be limping, but they appear fine. Daisypaw looks a bit shaken, but she's unharmed. Dewfrost lets out a yowl, and a grey she-cat darts from the crowd. "No! No! StarClan, you can't let him die!" She cries, and throws herself at his paws." Dewfrost's face twists, and for a moment, he looks sane. Creampatch mews, "Stay back, Snowwhisper. I need space." Snowwhisper sniffs, "He's going to die... Please, let me say goodbye to him!" Dewfrost whispers something. You think it's her name, but you're not sure. Then he falls still on the grass. Everyone goes silent. Silver... Your group did this! How can you still say you are saving the forest? What has this Clan done to you? You shut your eyes, but as you do so, you can see something in your head. A group of kits scamper around a meadow, and their mother smiles at them. But none of those kits looks familiar to you. Snowwhisper and Dewfrost's never-to-be-born kits? Whitefeather breaks you out of your trance, "You okay? You're frozen stiff." You can't speak. So instead, you nod. ~ Flash Backwards ~ Why am I hunting with Mosspaw again? You narrow your eyes at your apprentice. She's ready to become a warrior, in all honesty. And she annoys you so much. Dewfrost mews to you, "Just take her out for a bit. If there wasn't a war about to happen, I'm sure Heatherstar would have made her a warrior by now." You sigh, "Alright." As you walk into the forest, Mosspaw mews, "I don't need you with me. I know how to hunt. Just leave me alone." "I can't do that." You mew, "Otherwise, I would have done so already." Mosspaw hisses, "You're such a prick!" Before you can respond, she darts off. Stupid apprentice. Instead of following her, you walk towards the border, towards Silver and her group. As you approach the border, you spot Silver herself, and run a bit faster, "Hey, Silver!" She turns to look at you, and purrs, "Hey!" You run up to her, "How are you all holding up? I heard you got ambushed by a patrol." Silver nodded, "We did, but we'll be fine. Only Fritatta is injured, and he'll heal." You're quiet for a moment, before you ask, "Why do you want a war? Not liking LakeClan is one thing, but you guys seem set on destroying Clan life." Silver sighs, "LakeClan does not abide as it should. Those tales of brainwashing are not just kithood nightmares." You snort, "Brainwashing? Did you hit your head?" She growls, "I'm serious. Besides, I'm leader, now that Wellington is dead." What does that have to do with what we were talking about? You open your mouth, before Silver looks away, tears budding in her eyes. "I have to destroy the Clan system. They... they killed my mother, and my siblings, and they kitnapped-" she breaks off, her breath catching. You whisper, "LakeClan wouldn't kill your family, or steal kits. Silver, it sounds like your vendetta is with another rogue group." She snarls, "You fool! I know what they did! I saw them... I saw them kill Brick and Wren with my own two eyes! And if they didn't kill my mother, they were certainly mutilating her corpse!" You freeze. "And if that wasn't enough... they... they..." She trails off, grief streaming from her mouth. You mew, "I'm sorry, Silver." "Don't be. I just... I wish I could have..." You nudge her, "We'll win this battle. You can avenge your family." But as you walk away, you hear her whisper something. "But I can't avenge someone who doesn't know the truth..." ~ Flash Backwards ~ You spend the day hunting. It's all you can do not to panic. With the border skirmishes, and the threat of a battle looming overhead, you wonder how you can keep it all together. You worry about Silver. Hunting is the only way for you to keep your mind off the idea that Silver could be in danger. You're so afraid, afraid that she could die. You wonder why you care so much about Silver. You shake your head, and continue to hunt. Sniff out a scent, track the prey, kill it. Silver... When you finish hunting, you return to camp. You've caught a mouse, and two voles. It isn't much, but it will feed the elders. You place your prey on the fresh-kill pile, when suddenly, you hear pawsteps. Turning, you see Daisypaw rushing towards you. Her claws are unsheathed, and you draw back in worry. Suddenly, she gasps, "Ah! Oh, it's only you. I'm so sorry!" You mew, "It's fine. What's going on?" Daisypaw mews, "Heatherstar had a patrol sent out to ambush the rouge group. I... I thought you might be a rouge who came for revenge." Ambush?! Your heart quickens, but you can't let her see. You mew, "I see." Daisypaw dips her head to you, and then she runs off. You know Silver is strong, but you worry. You can't help but worry. ~ Flash Backwards ~ Silver is so good to you. She spends her time with you, introducing you to her group, making you feel welcome. But it doesn't make sense, in all honesty. You're a Clan cat, and she's a rouge. Why is she so kind to you? You wish you knew. You'd like to ask, but you're afraid of the answer. Category:Brighty's Stuff Category:Fanfictions Category:Worse Category:Non-Ace Attorney